


when the stars are the only things we share

by hyunghoney



Series: love endlessly. [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, idk what this is but i love it tbh, minhyuk and hyungwon are gay and dreams are involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 01:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14557557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunghoney/pseuds/hyunghoney
Summary: Minhyuk is a telepath who comes to Singapore and finds the love of his life that he's only met in his dreams.Hyungwon's a stressed out law student who has no idea his imaginary boyfriend is real.





	when the stars are the only things we share

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chickenfetus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chickenfetus/gifts).



> My first hyunghyuk fic, I hope y'all enjoy it!
> 
> Hyunghyuk dreamers!au based on the prompt: 
> 
> You're vacationing in a city you've never been in before. When you suddenly find yourself in a place you've seen hundreds of times in your dreams. The person you always see in those dreams is there too, and they slowly turn and ask "Is it really you?"

 

Hyungwon is sleepy. It’s 9am and he’s an hour into a three hour lecture in a freezing hall, wrapped in a hoodie that’s so comfortable it’s only making him sleepier.

 

His notes have been abandoned on the table for the last 59 minutes, and his hopes for his future law career probably escaped as well. Now all he has is the voice of his professor droning on over the speakers, the interested whispers of his competent classmates that unlike him are actually learning, and the whirring of the air-conditioner, a thrilling combination that would inevitably send him nodding off in the next few minutes.

 

His phone screen lights up to show a message sent to the class group chat.

 

 **JONATHAN:** _Sorry, can’t make it today, got lots of studying to do! Finals are coming up!!_

 

Turning his focus away from the professor, Hyungwon uses one finger to scroll through the rest of the messages in the group. They all basically say the same thing, all rejecting his offer to go out after the lecture and watch a movie. For finals that were in four months?

 

He sighs. Of all the majors to take, why did he have to choose law? He looks around at all these people that can’t be human, because what human wouldn’t want a break after three straight hours of _this_?

 

Hyungwon loses track of the contents of the lecture after a few more minutes of trying and mostly failing to listen. The air-conditioner whirs harder. Hyungwon burrows deeper into his thick hoodie in an attempt to get warm and loses himself in the comfort of it.

 

It’s 15 minutes to the end of lecture when he wakes up.

 

He rubs his eyes, barely holding back a yawn, and looks around to see if anyone’s noticed. His classmates are still completely focused on the lecture, taking notes so furiously it’s a miracle they haven’t cramped up. He sits up straighter in his chair, trying to pay attention for at least the last few minutes. But the sleepiness is still there, a blanketing numbness that drags his eyelids close without him knowing it…

 

... So that when he wakes up again the lecture hall is nearly empty, and it takes him every ounce of energy to pack up and leave.  

 

When the sleepiness dissipates, the hopefulness comes again, so he checks his phone to see a million rejections, because nobody is ever free in Singapore. It seems like he’ll be at the cinema alone today as well.

 

Hyungwon strolls alongside his friends who are all heading off to the café to study, jokingly rolling his eyes at their earnestness. They part ways when he turns to head in a different direction.

 

He wonders if Minhyuk would’ve come with him to the movie.

* * *

 

It’s freezing. Music blasts into Minhyuk’s ears through his earbuds, but even the loud cheery tune can’t save his mood in this season. He snuggles into his large fluffy blanket, hoping to save himself from the wind that somehow manages to blow stubbornly through his closed windows. He glances out of the window, at the dreary outside that is basically empty of colour, drab and uninteresting. The weather sucks.

 

Minhyuk glares at the sky that now seems to be emanating a burst of grey, all light gone, the sun nowhere to be found. Winter is the worst. And it isn’t even snowing anymore.

 

The earbud in his left ear slips out but he doesn’t move to push it back in. It wasn’t like he was really listening anyway. Everything just sucks today. He can’t even come up with a more hateful sounding word to describe today then “sucks”. He lets out an exasperated sigh that comes out more like a terrible mix between a scream and a groan.

 

He realises suddenly that maybe it’s not him. Everyone feels gloomier as winter drags on day by day, spreading dreariness like a disease. It wouldn’t be the first time he was affected by everyone’s collective moods. It’s just one of the occupational hazards of being a natural-born telepath, he supposes. Yeah, that’s probably why he feels so fucking depressed right now.

 

Or maybe he’s just sick of the day already at 7pm, because nothing had happened and nothing is happening and he’s just so unmotivated. Maybe he’s just so sick of counting down the hours that seem endless till he can return to dreaming, return to Hyungwon.

 

The realisation does nothing to help the fact that he wants nothing more than to hide in his blanket and ignore the world forever, if only the world would let him.

 

If only _Hyunwoo_ would let him. A knock on his door indicates that his roommate’s finally gotten sick of sitting around in silence and come to hang out. He sighs and debates internally whether to get the door.

 

“Come in,” he calls out instead, too nestled to get up. The door opens slowly, and Minhyuk can almost imagine Hyunwoo moving behind the door, hesitating to enter all the while. When he finally walks in, Hyunwoo stands at the doorway, unmoving. He watches Minhyuk in that calm manner of his for a few seconds before making his way over.

 

He sits gingerly at the edge of Minhyuk’s bed, looking all around around the bedroom in an effort to seem casual. Minhyuk sucks his teeth, already annoyed. If he has something to say, can he just spit it out already? He knows Hyunwoo can’t help being awkward. He’s probably not even actually annoyed at Hyunwoo, he’s just in a mood.

 

“What’s up?” He asks, trying to keep the biting tone out of his question. Hyunwoo’s eyes snap to him, judging his mood. Hyunwoo for all his quiet, shy nature, is a master of reading people. And this is coming from someone who has telepathic powers.

 

“Are you okay?” Hyunwoo asks. “You’ve been holed up in your room ever since you got home from work.”

 

There’s no judgement in Hyunwoo’s question, no entitlement to an answer or any secret standard he’s holding Minhyuk to. That’s the best thing about Hyunwoo, Minhyuk thinks. He’s calm and he minds his own business, gives Minhyuk the space that he needs, and yet it’s undoubtedly clear that he cares.

 

He shrugs. It’s not rare for him to hide out in the comfort and privacy of his own room when he doesn’t have obligations outside.

 

“I’m good… It’s just one of those days.” He gives Hyunwoo a small smile and receives one in return, before Hyunwoo reaches out and places a hand on his back, stroking it gently. Minhyuk leans back into his best friend’s touch, nearly fluttering his eyes close. God, he really is touch-starved.

 

Minhyuk thinks this is probably why he’s still so close to Hyunwoo after all these years. Hyunwoo is such an inherently physical person, showing his love through actions rather than feelings and Minhyuk can be absolutely sure that when he reads Hyunwoo’s moods it’s because Hyunwoo wants him to know, and not because of his freakish telepathic nature.

 

“I was thinking,” Hyunwoo hesitates, seemingly unsure whether to go on. Minhyuk looks over at him, sees him biting his lip in thoughtful hesitation. “I was thinking since we’ve been so busy lately and all, maybe we should take a break.”

 

“What do you mean by a break?” Minhyuk actually finds himself entertaining the thought, feeling touched at the invitation.

 

“You’ve been really down lately, I can tell.I don’t really know if a vacation will help, but wouldn’t it be a nice change?” Hyunwoo’s large hand continues to rub along his back and Minhyuk’s heart is swelling with affection for him in this moment.

 

The wind still howls outside the window, but Minhyuk’s mood has to have lightened by a million weights. Hyunwoo watches him with thoughtful eyes, not rushing for a response.

 

“You can tell me when you decide.” Hyunwoo pushes himself lightly off of Minhyuk’s bed and heads to the door. Minhyuk half doesn’t want him to leave.

 

Hyunwoo turns back to Minhyuk when he’s at the doorway. His eyes narrow slightly in concern. It doesn’t take telepathy for Minhyuk to know what Hyunwoo wants to ask about before he does. He sighs, but doesn’t interrupt.

 

“And your dreams? Have they stopped?” Hyunwoo drags out each syllable of the question as if it is painful to ask, which might be true considering all the fights they’d had over the issue. Minhyuk shrugs. The answer is always the same.

 

The corner of Hyunwoo’s lips turn downwards slightly, but that is all the indication that Hyunwoo still disapproves. Minhyuk changes the topic.

 

“Where will we go?”

* * *

 

_It is full dark out when Minhyuk arrives at the void deck. He looks around the familiar place, at the expanse of empty floor that always waited for him, at the vague silhouettes of cars parked outside the building, the lift which was always on the ground floor._

 

_There’s a stone table attached to the floor, with a pattern of a chessboard painted over it. He finds what he’s looking for in the form of a lanky figure that sits slumped over the table, wrapped in a big hoodie, head slightly upturned in Minhyuk’s direction._

 

_Hyungwon._

 

_Hyungwon’s eyes light up, as they always do, at the sight of Minhyuk heading towards him. He raises his head fully and smiles, lifting a hand to beckon him to come faster. Minhyuk obeys, of course, speeding up and moving to sit next to the sleepy boy._

 

_“Took you long enough,” Hyungwon mumbles, no malice in his words. He gazes at Minhyuk with big thoughtful eyes and scoots closer to him on the rounded stone bench._

 

_Minhyuk feels a smile forming on his face, full of adoration for Hyungwon who now rested one cheek on the cold table, gaze still on him._

 

_His arm moves almost of its own accord, and wraps around Hyungwon, pulling him closer. Hyungwon, the twig that he is, lets himself be moved, snuggling into Minhyuk’s chest._

 

_A kiss into Hyungwon’s hair._

 

_Hyungwon’s fingers find his and links them together, his other hand going into Minhyuk’s pocket, seeking warmth._

 

_Minhyuk laughs internally at Hyungwon, this boy that gets cold in the slight chill of Singapore’s nights, when Minhyuk himself has only just escaped the freezing winter of Korea. Still he finds himself tugging off his jacket and placing it around Hyungwon’s shoulders._

 

Weakling, _he thinks jokingly, but still helps Hyungwon push his hands through the arms of the jacket, pulling the hood over Hyungwon’s head, laughing at his lover’s helpless act. Hyungwon only whines a little at the insult before smiling contentedly, snuggling into the comfort of the two jackets._

 

_“I had to watch Black Panther by myself today.” Hyungwon’s sentence comes out as a whine, and he pouts his slug lips, looking at Minhyuk with exaggeratedly big, sad, eyes._

 

_Minhyuk can’t resist the urge to ruffle his hair, endeared at the sight of him, and the action brightens Hyungwon’s face with a smile again._

 

_“It was really good though,” Hyungwon continues, stretching his “really” for emphasis. He pokes Minhyuk’s shoulder to get his attention. “Have you watched it?”_

 

_Minhyuk nods. Hyungwon’s eyes narrow in response, suddenly alert and suspicious. Fuck._

 

_There’s a few seconds of silence but Hyungwon doesn’t ask why a dream person would have watched Black Panther in the cinemas. Thank god. Hyungwon just shrugs it off and smiles at him, sleepy again._

 

_The nights in Singapore are never entirely quiet, and even in the dream itself, they still hear the 3am sounds of the city, distant roaring of cars zooming past._

 

_But Hyungwon lightly rubs his thumb along Minhyuk’s finger, and Hyungwon’s breath against his chest is steady and soft, and everything is still and calm in this consistent dream world._

 

_“You know,” Hyungwon says, eyes flicking up to meet Minhyuk’s. “I’ve never dreamt of you in the daytime.”_

 

_Minhyuk’s eyes widen, but he can’t think of how to respond, so he bites his lip and stays quiet. Hyungwon apparently hadn’t been expecting an answer, as he shrugs and doesn’t push the topic._

 

_Hyungwon is like Hyunwoo, in a way. He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t demand, doesn’t push, doesn’t expect more from Minhyuk than what he’s willing to give. He just loves, and gives, quietly, only requiring Minhyuk to be there to receive him._

 

_Maybe because Hyungwon doesn’t think there is anything to know, anything to demand or ask from the man he believes only exists in his dreams. Maybe if he knew, he’d be as suspicious, as violent as everyone else, and Minhyuk would find himself alone, painfully alone, again. The fear of that possibility comes to the forefront of Minhyuk’s mind every time he thinks of telling Hyungwon the truth._

 

_Hyungwon’s lips find their way to his cheeks, planting a fleeting kiss before he smiles at Minhyuk and lays his head back onto his chest._

 

_Hyungwon tells him about his day, and rests his cheek on Minhyuk’s shoulder, and they are utterly absorbed in each other. Minhyuk runs gentle fingers through his lover’s messy hair, absent-mindedly untangling the brown strands as he listens to Hyungwon’s soft voice._

 

_“Sometimes,” Hyungwon says, quietly, almost whispering. “Sometimes I think I couldn’t possibly have dreamt you up.”_

 

_Minhyuk’s eyes widen in response, but Hyungwon doesn’t see. Minhyuk lets his fingers trail down Hyungwon’s back, smiling when he hears Hyungwon’s lazy, contented sigh._

 

_He places a finger under Hyungwon’s chin and tilts his lover’s face up towards him. Hyungwon’s eyes are sleepy, even in this dream, his lips soft and slightly apart, waiting._

 

_The kiss is slow, chaste, and overwhelming…_

* * *

 

… Hyungwon wakes up smiling, lazily grasping at air, wanting to sleep more in the imagined embrace of the man that he only sees at night.

 

He stretches and yawns, taking his time to get out of bed. It’s a Saturday, anyway. There’s not really any reason to be up early. He checks his phone. 10:40am. Okay, maybe it’s not _that_ early. But he’s tired and still feels sleep pulling him under.

 

Just a few more minutes won’t hurt…

 

… What _does_ hurt is waking up again to repeated smacks to his thighs, as his roommate impatiently shouts at him to wake up.

 

Hyungwon puts all his annoyance into his glare at Jooheon, hoping the absolute bloodlust he has at the moment is being well conveyed. Jooheon just gives him a dimpled grin, long used to Hyungwon’s morning nature.

 

“It’s nearly noon, you can’t be planning to sleep _all_ day!”

 

Indeed, Hyungwon’s phone shows that it is now 11:50 a.m. Hyungwon, who had been planning to sleep till the afternoon, grumbles in response and rolls over so he won’t have to look at Jooheon.

 

“You look well-rested though!” Jooheon tugs at his arm, pulling him back around. “Good dreams?”

 

Hyungwon’s too lethargic, still too swept up in the happiness of the dream, so he doesn’t fight off the smile that forms on his face at the thought of Minhyuk. He nods but doesn’t expand.

 

Jooheon doesn’t need him to, anyway. He’s suffered through all the stages of Hyungwon’s delusional infatuation with this dreamt-up man, he knows more than anyone about those dreams.

 

“Okay well, don’t stay in bed till too late. We can go watch a movie later maybe!” Jooheon slaps his back in a seemingly friendly, playful matter, but Hyungwon knows his roommate just doesn’t want him to drift off to sleep again.

 

Hyungwon lets a couple of groans and whines escape him before he drags himself out of bed and follows Jooheon out of the bedroom. All thoughts return to Minhyuk.

* * *

  


It is Monday morning when they arrive in Singapore. Hyunwoo has been nothing but smiles all day and bounces on his heels as he pushes the trolley carrying their luggage out of the airport doors. Minhyuk trails behind, not as excited, but glad to have gotten the long plane ride out of the way.

 

Singapore’s weather is hot, not that Minhyuk doesn’t know that already.

 

“Let’s drop our stuff off at the hotel before we go.”

 

They load their luggage into a taxi and head off to the hotel. Minhyuk puts his earbuds in and closes his eyes, but the music doesn’t lull him to sleep for the duration of the ride. Hyunwoo doesn’t attempt to make conversation, being naturally quiet anyway, and probably asleep. Minhyuk wishes sleep came easily to him.

 

He gives up and decides to look through the window instead, taking in the sights of Singapore, the country he’d only known through the hazy night-time dreams, where he was confined to the void deck that Hyungwon is so in love with.

 

Singapore is all high-rise buildings, and cars, and double decker buses packed to the brim with people. And trees, everywhere, neatly planted along the roads, next to the buildings, as if to balance out the multitude of buildings. A chinese radio station blasts in the taxi, playing songs that Minhyuk hasn’t heard before. Hyunwoo sleeps through it all, and Minhyuk rolls his eyes with fond familiarity.

 

He looks at the itinerary Hyunwoo sent to him the night before. Today is going to be a long day.

 

Maybe a long day is just what he needs right now.

 

That turns out to be true, when Minhyuk basically passes out on his bed once they arrive back at the hotel that night. Hyunwoo laughs and reminds him to at least change into his pajamas first, but Minhyuk ignores him, burrowing into the bed.

 

Hyunwoo laughs and leaves it at that, heading to the toilet to take a shower. Minhyuk closes his eyes, feeling the warmth of the blanket around his drained body, the sounds of the water running as Hyunwoo showers, the sounds of footsteps outside the door as other tourists return from their days exploring…

 

… And wakes at 6am the next day, sprawled across the bed, still in yesterday’s clothes, a little bit of drool drying on his chin.

 

He hadn’t dreamt of Hyungwon last night.

* * *

 

Minhyuk is officially in love with Orchard Road, the street dedicated just to shopping. As a self-proclaimed shopaholic, he’d been waiting for his opportunity to go shopping, or window shopping, seeing that he has no money. By the end of the day, he walks down the streets of Orchard, arms laden with shopping bags.

 

Hyunwoo follows him, also carrying some bags, reminding him that they have to stop for dinner eventually. Minhyuk laughs – no matter how busy Hyunwoo is, his first thought would be to satisfy his stomach. Not that he’s much different, he knows, as his stomach whines just then.

 

Minutes later, they sit in a restaurant, waiting to try out yet another local dish they hadn’t tasted yet. Hyunwoo’s eyes are fixed on his phone, scrolling down his gallery to look at the pictures they took that day. Minhyuk looks around the restaurant, people-watching.

 

In the quiet his thoughts travel, for the first time in a few days, to Hyungwon. He hadn’t dreamt of him in a while, probably because he’s been having such long and tiring days that he doesn’t really dream anymore.

 

It’s for the better, he tells himself. He shouldn’t be relying on a boy he’s never met to give him the love he’s so desperate for, much less expect it every single night, especially when he has no idea that he’s a real person.

 

And if he misses Hyungwon, just a little bit, well, he’ll just have to get over it.

* * *

 

“A turtle museum?” Minhyuk looks at Hyunwoo incredulously, but his best friend only smiles and nods like he’s suggested going somewhere entirely normal.

 

Minhyuk had looked through every single popular website giving advice on the places to visit when one visited Singapore. None of them had mentioned this turtle museum that Hyunwoo wants to bring him to, probably because it’s shady and just a weird place to go.

 

A _turtle_ museum. Only Hyunwoo would casually suggest going to that kind of place, bouncing with excitement.

 

Minhyuk rolls his eyes but agrees to go, intrigued by the idea. Hyunwoo beams. That’s good enough for Minhyuk to get excited too.

 

This excitement starves out and dies in the thirtieth minute of what should’ve been a 15 minute ride as the taxi driver wanders around what seems like the whole of Singapore, unable to find the place. Minhyuk tries not to sigh loudly, the driver looked stressed enough as it is.

 

Eventually Hyunwoo, who’d been sitting stone-faced in the passenger’s seat, grows tired of it and politely asks the driver to just drop them off here. The poor guy nods, looking relieved. Okay, well, they’re finally out of there.

 

Now the only problem is they have no idea where they are. Oops.

 

It seems like they’re in a sort of cluster of buildings, or HDBs as they are called here. The buildings are numbered, but aside from that there is no indication of where they could possible be.

 

Hyunwoo looks at him with a apologetic grin, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

Minhyuk shrugs. This is still better than languishing in the back of a taxi as the driver brought them around in circles, apparently clueless of where anything is in the city.

 

Singapore’s weather is unbearably hot, especially for them, being too used to the winter of Korea. Minhyuk can feel sweat starting to form on his back under his shirt. They have got to find their way soon. Thankfully the sky is getting dark, and the rain that will probably follow will dissipate some of the overwhelming heat.

 

Hyunwoo holds out a hand, and Minhyuk takes it. They walk around hand in hand, trying to make it back to the main road somehow.

 

“Maybe we should split up,” Hyunwoo suggests, a few minutes into the fruitless search. Minhyuk nods, fanning himself with his hands in an attempt to fan away some of the heat.

 

They separate and Minhyuk heads towards a random building, hoping it’ll have the main road hiding behind it somehow.

 

Block 253.

 

Minhyuk is hit with a wave of recognition at the sight of the building, but he can’t find a reason for the familiarity. He ignores the feeling and keeps walking.

 

Droplets of rain drip onto his head, seeming to get heavier once he notices. He rushes into the building’s void deck for shelter. He’d hate to get sick during a vacation.

 

He’s made it under shelter just in time, as the light drizzle almost immediately turns into a loud downpour, making it impossible to venture back out without getting drenched.

 

He texts Hyunwoo to come save him and decides to sit and wait.

 

But he looks around the place that doesn’t feel so foreign, feels welcoming, feels like he’s been there more times than he’s been anywhere else. He _knows_ this place.

 

And he knows the figure that sits slumped over the stone table in the middle of the void deck, black hoodie pulled over his fluffy brown hair as he rested his head on a thick book, fast asleep.

 

Minhyuk finds himself making his way over to the table before he even realises it, fingers outstretched towards the boy he hasn’t seen in nearly a week.

 

Hyungwon. His Hyungwon.

 

The boy of his dreams, the boy whose nights he’d stolen one by one, the boy who holds him and kisses him and loves him without asking for anything in return. The boy that doesn’t know that Minhyuk is real, that _can’t_ know that Minhyuk is real.

 

Hyungwon stirs, eyelids fluttering and threatening to open any second, almost as if he senses Minhyuk’s presence. Fuck.

 

Minhyuk makes up his mind in a split second, sprinting back out into the rain without a second thought.

 

He doesn’t see Hyungwon’s eyes open slowly, lazily taking in his surroundings, before widening at the sight of Minhyuk dashing away at full speed.

 

Hyungwon blinks, waking up immediately. He shoots upright. He’s off the chair in an instant. But Minhyuk is gone like he was never there. He rubs his eyes, certain he must have been half-dreaming. It can’t have been him.

 

He rests his chin on his arm, willing his heart to stop racing. It _wasn’t_ him. But what will it take to make himself believe that, when his hands won’t stop shaking, his body filled with andrenaline, as if it had so quickly convinced itself that Minhyuk had truly been just a few steps away?

 

Hyungwon rubs his eyes again and gets up. If he’s so tired that he’s imagining things, he might as well go to bed now. He sends a quick text to Jooheon asking when he’ll be home before heading towards the elevator to get home.

 

 **joohoney:**  sorry ill be home late today!!

Hyungwon reads Jooheon’s quick reply on his phone as he gets in to the elevator.

 **joohoney:** you go to bed first!! Dream of me~

 

The message ends with a long row of hearts and kissy faces. Hyungwon rolls his eyes but smiles fondly at his phone. While on the subject of dreams though..

 

Thoughts of Minhyuk fill his head with an intensity that is remarkably close to the feeling of a headache. Hyungwon scolds himself internally, because he knows Minhyuk isn’t real, he shouldn’t miss a dream person so much that he starts hallucinating him in real life as well.

 

Hyungwon flops down on his bed once he gets home, determined. It’s been a few long days since he dreamt of Minhyuk, but he’s just going to have to try harder.

 

The longing to see Minhyuk consumes him, he misses Minhyuk like missing a limb. God, he really needs to get his shit together. He laughs at himself for feeling the ache in his heart bring tears to his eyes.

 

Tonight. He’ll see him tonight. Tonight…

* * *

 

_It’s daytime when Hyungwon comes to the void deck, but Hyungwon can’t figure out what time of the day it could be. It’s still dark all around, thunder blasting down at a nearly deafening volume, lightning illuminating the sky every few minutes or so. The rain pours ceaselessly._

 

_The void deck table is desolate, in the middle of the floor. No one else is around. It feels so oddly separate from everything else, when the rain is so heavy he can’t see anything of the outside, when everyone else is probably shut in to their houses, avoiding the rain._

 

_He sits at the table with his hood pulled over his head to shield his face from the droplets of rain that manage to splash in from the sides._

 

_He waits for Minhyuk._

 

…And wakes up to the smell of pancakes wafting in from outside his door. It’s 9am and he climbs out of bed lazily, following the sweet scent to Jooheon, who sits at the table.

 

He hugs his roommate from behind, opening his mouth wordlessly to beg for a little bit of the breakfast. Jooheon laughs and obliges, spoonfeeding him.

 

“You’re up early!” Jooheon watches Hyungwon make his way to the cabinets, pulling out a small packet of cereal and a bowl, humming as goes.

 

“You must’ve slept well.” Hyungwon nods with a smile, affirming Jooheon’s statement, but doesn’t elaborate.

 

He did have a really good sleep, he thinks to himself. He’s so chipper and animated that morning that it takes him a few hours to realise.

 

Last night’s dream had nothing he’d gotten used to, no soft kisses or dolphin-laughs, no rubbing of his thumb along Hyungwon’s jaw as he traced his features for no reason at all, no Minhyuk.

 

He’d waited and waited until the rain had stopped. No one had come. The feeling of helplessness fills his chest, and Hyungwon thinks he must be so pathetic to be hurting so much because of someone he made up in his head.

 

Minhyuk… Had always felt so real, so painfully real, like he had to exist outside of Hyungwon’s mind. Minhyuk is beautiful, all bright smiles and loud yelling even in the dead of the night, and he takes care of him and he lets Hyungwon love him. And that’s all Hyungwon ever wants to do.

 

But he is real, he has to be, because he gets angry and sad and he gets quiet on days that his day doesn’t go well, and he keeps secrets… Imaginary boyfriends don’t keep secrets.

 

Minhyuk _has_ to be real, Hyungwon has never believed in anything more. But how could he be?

* * *

 

Hyunwoo’s fingers are littered with a few bite wounds from the turtles that he had harrassed down at the turtle museum. Minhyuk laughs at him, mimicking his panicked cries as the turtles nibbled at his fingertips instead of the food he offered.

 

They finally made it to the turtle museum, a day after they had meant to, because this time the driver didn’t bring them around in circles and they didn’t get lost. Yesterday had been… a disaster, to say the least.

 

They had eventually met each other at the main road and hailed a taxi, going back to the hotel immediately. Hyunwoo hadn’t asked why Minhyuk had been so rattled or why he was so intent on getting out of the area as soon as possible. They stayed at the hotel for the rest of the day, cuddling in warm blankets and turning the air conditioner off to not freeze.

 

Now they are finally at the place, and Minhyuk is surprisingly enjoying himself at this ridiculous place, watching adorable little turtles nibbling innocently on Hyunwoo’s fingers.

 

“It’s your fault for putting your fingers _in_ the water! Why can’t you just throw it in like a normal person?” He teases, laughing. Hyunwoo just shrugs and obstinately puts his fingers into the water again.

 

Minhyuk leaves Hyunwoo to his dumbass devices and walks off to look at the turtles in the tanks. Hyunwoo waves vaguely as his best friend walks away, but doesn’t ask where he’s going.

 

Minhyuk’s mind wanders with his body, travelling, as it always does, to Hyungwon.

 

It has been nearly two weeks since he last visited that void deck, two weeks since he had last gone to sleep to anticipate Hyungwon’s soft hands in his and been disappointed. Come to think of it, he hasn’t seen Hyungwon since he arrived in Singapore.

 

Minhyuk sighs, trying to force his mind to something else, anything but Hyungwon, his beautiful Hyungwon that is right here, with nothing and everything stopping Minhyuk from just going to find him.

 

If only he isn’t such a fucking coward.

 

Minhyuk never dreamt of anything, before.

 

Since he was a child, Minhyuk had been unable to dream, something he attributed to his telepathic powers. He resented it, and himself, this freak of nature that just couldn’t be a normal person, not even when asleep. Or especially then.

 

Back then when he couldn’t control his powers and listened to the thoughts of everyone around him freely, not even knowing it was wrong, until his best friend had screamed at him (“Stay out of my head, you freak!”) and left him forever…

 

Hyunwoo had always been there, always loved him, always taken care of him. But no one else, not his friends, not his parents, not anyone. What a pathetic existence.

 

Minhyuk had been so lonely, so resentful, before. Before Hyungwon.

 

_The night he walked into Hyungwon’s void deck had been at the end of a long day – the kids at the kindergarten were lovely as always, but his fellow teacher had been absent and he’d had to handle them alone, and they were a lot to handle._

 

_He wandered in to this unfamiliar place, the void deck of a building that he didn’t recognise. It took him a few moments to realise that this is a dream._

 

_A dream? He’d never had one before._

 

_A boy sat on the floor in the middle of the void deck, his cheek resting on the stone seat as he closed his eyes. Was he sleeping? Did dream people sleep?_

 

_Minhyuk found himself inexplicably drawn to the boy that he didn’t know, walking to stand over him dazedly._

 

_The dozing boy’s eyes opened, then widened in shock after realising he wasn’t alone. He whipped around to look at Minhyuk._

 

_“Who are you?” Hyungwon demands to know. Minhyuk didn’t say a word, too shocked to reply, too terrified to speak. Hyungwon looked put off by him, and walked away to the edge of the void deck, never leaving._

 

It took them so many days, so many dreams to get used to each other. Minhyuk had only ever spoken aloud to him once, to tell him his name in a rushed mumble, too worried that it would break the spell, that with a single word he’d reveal everything and lose Hyungwon forever.

 

But he knows they’re in love through the press of his lips to Hyungwon’s, through the warmth of Hyungwon’s hands resting on his neck as he pulls him closer to cuddle, through the gentle vibrations of Hyungwon’s chest when he’s talking that Minhyuk feels when he rests against him.

 

_One night, Minhyuk sat and listened to Hyungwon talk for hours. Hyungwon doesn’t normally say much. He is more content to be quiet, letting Minhyuk play with his fingers, or attempting to play chess against Minhyuk and losing badly._

 

_That day, though, he was full of words, animatedly telling Minhyuk about his day. Minhyuk laughs soundlessly, and pulls Hyungwon onto his lap, pressing a kiss to the top of his head._

 

_Hyungwon understood._

 

_“I love you too, Minhyuk,” he replied._

 

He doesn’t need words to love Hyungwon. But he needs to love Hyungwon. He needs to see him again.

 

God, he needs to see him again.

* * *

 

Two days before they have to go home, Minhyuk leaves Hyunwoo to pack in the hotel room and heads out, barely remembering to grab his wallet and phone before leaving.

 

He jumps into the taxi once he manages to hail one. Block 253… He remembers the block clearer than his own name.

 

The only thing to do now is wait for the driver to bring him there. Minhyuk sits and fidgets, impatient, terrified at the thought of seeing Hyungwon in real life again.

 

The ride to the block seems much faster this time round, Minhyuk barely has time to prepare before they’ve arrived, and he’s stepping out of the car to search for Hyungwon.

 

God, please let him be there.

 

(It’ll be okay if he isn’t there, Minhyuk tries to convince himself. It’ll be okay even if they don’t meet today and he never sees Hyungwon again.)

 

With legs that feel like jelly, he walks towards the building from where he’s been dropped off. It feels almost like a dream, probably because the nerves are making his peripheral vision blurry and making everything feel hazy and confusing.

 

A few steps into the void deck, his eyes trail over to the stone table.

 

His world stops.

 

_Hyungwon._

 

The boy sits atop the table this time, eyes fixed on a game he is playing on his phone. Soft music escapes from the earbuds that are loosely in his ears, and he doesn’t seem to notice that Minhyuk is there.

 

For one split second, Minhyuk considers walking away. What Hyungwon doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and it’s better if he doesn’t break the illusion of the perfect dream. But then Hyungwon’s eyes flick over to him and he jumps back in surprise, falling to the ground from the table with a resounding crash.

 

“FUCK!” Minhyuk swears loudly as he runs to Hyungwon’s side, ready to pull him to his feet.

 

Hyungwon looks up at Minhyuk’s extended hand and doesn’t take it, his face a mask of shock, his mouth fallen open. Minhyuk shifts uncomfortably, not knowing what to say, where to even begin explaining himself.

 

“Minhyuk?” Hyungwon says uncertainly. His voice shakes a little. Minhyuk feels his throat dry up, effectively muting him, so he just nods wordlessly.

 

“But you’re not real.” Hyungwon says, almost mumbling. He tilts his head to look at Minhyuk, as if still disbelieving. “Is this a dream?”

 

Minhyuk shakes his head, still unable to find his voice – it probably ran off with the breath he lost at the sight of Hyungwon. Hyungwon’s lips purse, and he rubs his eyes with one hand, as if trying to rub the image of Minhyuk away.

 

“I… I can explain.”

 

Hyungwon narrows his eyes at him, but doesn’t seem too angry, yet. Minhyuk gathers up courage to open his mouth again.

 

“I’m a telepath. I can hear people’s thoughts and feel what they’re feeling. But I try not to? I don’t like it, it feels invasive. Anyway so I guess I accidentally entered your dreams, I can’t really control my powers much when I’m sleeping. So that’s how we met.”

 

Minhyuk only realises he’s rambling when he loses his breath, stopping to pant. Hyungwon’s wide eyes are fixed on him, still in shock.

 

“And I wanted to tell you but it’s kind of hard to believe and I didn’t wanna scare you off so I kept it to myself, but I should’ve told you. I’m really sorry, Hyungwon.”

 

He sees Hyungwon jerk suddenly at the sound of his own name, and realises this is the first time he’s ever spoken his name out loud.

 

“I knew you were real,” Hyungwon mumbles, more to himself than to Minhyuk. He takes Minhyuk’s hand that is still loosely outstretched and uses him to pull himself off the ground.

 

Hyungwon turns his back to him and walks to the stone bench to sit. With an impassive face, he pats the spot next to him and beckons Minhyuk over. Minhyuk isn’t sure what he expected it to be like when he finally came clean to Hyungwon, but it sure wasn’t this – Hyungwon remains, calm, accepting, gentle, not running from him like he’s a freak or hating him for trespassing into his dreams.

 

Hyungwon rests his head gingerly on Minhyuk’s shoulder when Minhyuk finally gets the courage to sit next to him. He doesn’t say much, but stares off into the distance while Minhyuk watches him, waiting to see what he will do next.

 

“It must’ve been hard for you,” Hyungwon says. His voice is soft, nearly carried away in the wind. His fingers trail to Minhyuk’s open palm, holding his hand like he always does. Minhyuk’s chest feels so light, the fear of rejection no longer weighing like a rock on his heart. He just nods, knowing Hyungwon can see from his peripheral vision.

 

They stay like that, in silence, for a few minutes. They watch strangers pass by, in groups, alone, and the neighbourhood children playing in the nearby playground. In their dreams, there wasn’t much they could see outside of the void deck, so Minhyuk takes in these new places surrounding this familiar void deck.

 

At some point, Hyungwon starts giggling. It’s music to Minhyuk’s ears, and soon they’re laughing together, and Minhyuk doesn’t even know why they’re doing it. But pure joy lights Hyungwon’s smiling face, and he holds on to Minhyuk’s hands as his whole body shakes with laughter, so he can’t really complain.

 

They stay together until it’s late evening, and Hyungwon rubs his eyes, yawning. He looks at Minhyuk sleepily and drops his head into Minhyuk’s lap, closing his eyes. He takes Minhyuk’s hand and brings it to his cheek, seemingly about to cuddle Minhyuk’s hand to sleep.

 

Dream or not, this is how Minhyuk loves Hyungwon best, sleepy and just comfortable to be around him, trusting him. He just watches him.

 

The world is so still tonight.

 

 _Minhyuk does not arrive at the void deck tonight, though he_ can _see it in the periphery. He stands at the edge of the nearby playground, and looks to where Hyungwon awaits him, sitting at the top of a slide._

 

_Hyungwon holds out a hand to him, summoning him over with just a look. Minhyuk goes to the bottom of the slide and waves Hyungwon down. Hyungwon slides right into his waiting arms, and they embrace each other in a warm hug._

 

_Hyungwon buries his face into Minhyuk’s neck, giggling like before._

 

_“What should we do tonight?” Minhyuk asks, speaking in the dream for only the second time ever. Hyungwon shrugs. He looks around the empty playground._

 

_“I haven’t really been here since I was a kid,” he tells Minhyuk. “Do you want to play?”_

 

_It is still, it is always so still in the dreams._

 

_Hyungwon is like the moon, but Minhyuk is the waves, moving with the mon, unpredictable, sometimes calm and quiet, other times dynamic, chaotic. Hyungwon jumps at the monkey bars and starts to climb, not waiting for Minhyuk’s response._

 

_Minhyuk follows Hyungwon, like he always does. He finds the swings and fits his adult body into a child’s seat, swinging as high as it’ll go. At some point Hyungwon joins him in the second swing, and they start competing._

 

_They play like children, in this part of their world that they’ve never been to together. The darkness of the dream doesn’t feel so dark, now that everything’s out in the open. Minhyuk wants to stay with Hyungwon forever._

 

_Hyungwon goes to sit on the floor of the playground, smiling as he watches Minhyuk swing. Eventually Minhyuk joins him. They lean back, watching the stars together._

 

_Hyungwon moves quietly to sit on top of Minhyuk, basically straddling him. He leans down. Minhyuk’s breath catches, anticipating._

* * *

 

Hyungwon curses, annoyed at waking up at such an inconvenient time. He can still vaguely feel Minhyuk’s lips nearly pressing against his. So close.

 

Jooheon’s already left the apartment, leaving a note that says he left for an early lecture and he already had breakfast. Hyungwon munches absently on his sandwich, thinking of Minhyuk (it’s hard not to, when Minhyuk’s beautiful image is basically burnt into the back of his eyelids).

 

His phone buzzes and lights up. Speak of the devil.

 

 **MINMOONGIE <3 :** _Come to the Starbucks near my hotel_

_[ location attached ]_

 

Hyungwon jumps up immediately, unable to contain his excitement. He changes in a rush and runs out of the door, nearly forgetting to lock it behind him in his frenzy.

 

He’s going to see Minhyuk again! The thought just brightens his whole day.

 

Hyungwon is still running when he barges into the cafe, looking around to find his boyfriend. Minhyuk is waiting for him at a corner of the cafe, tucked in behind a wall. He looks up, smiling, when Hyungwon calls his name.

 

“Good morning, love,” Hyungwon says. Minhyuk pushes a drink towards him.

 

Minhyuk tells him he has to return to Korea tomorrow. But that’s a problem for the future, and right now they’re too wrapped up in each other to care about anything other than the person in front of them. They sit and talk, and the world around them disappears as it always does.

 

Hyungwon feels giddy at the sight of Minhyuk, outside his dreams, real – just how Hyungwon always dreamt he’d be. He nearly starts giggling again. But Minhyuk catches his face in his large hands, squishing his cheeks in.

 

They draw closer to each other again. The kiss isn’t interrupted this time, there’s nothing to wake up from.

 

When they pull apart, Hyungwon actually feels tears prickling the edge of his eyes. How did his dreams come true – quite literally – in the span of a few days?

 

“I’m so glad you’re here, and real. I knew I couldn’t have dreamt you up… I love you.”

 

Hyungwon watches Minhyuk’s fingers tremble, sees his adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallows. He waits to hear what Minhyuk could never tell him before.

 

“I love you too, Hyungwon.”

 

A pause. Another kiss.  

 

“You’re all I’ve ever dreamt of.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this since April, but I wanted to surprise you!! It was specifically written for the most encouraging person in the world aka Megan <3 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @sakurachae or twitter @hyunghonie !!


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